DCU Comic Book Reviews

ROBIN #169

A Boy For The Demon

Februiary 2008

Written by Peter Milligan

Pencils by David Baldeon

Inks by Steve Bird

Cover by Andy Kubert

Synopsis

[Continued from Batman, issue #671]

Tim Drake (aka Robin), Damian, Talia al Ghul, I Ching are being held captive at Ra’s Al Ghul’s stronghold by the White Ghost.  However, the foursome manage to escape from the League of Assassins.  When Damian runs away, Talia goes in search for her son.  Robin searches for the White Ghost.  Before he had left, Ra’s al Ghul offered Robin the chance to bring his mother and father back to life.  Now, Robin contemplates accepting Ra’s offer.  In Nanda Parbat, Ra’s has a new body, but it is already decaying.  He offers Batman his hand in friendship.  Batman refuses.  Meanwhile, Robin finds the White Ghost and is willing to renounce everything to resurrect his parents.  Before he can do that, however, Nightwing tells Robin he is prepared to stop him.  [Continued in Nightwing, issue #139]. 

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

In my review of the previous installment of this crossover story, I had predicted that both Robin and Nightwing would not further the main story of Ra’s resurrection, but rather tell a story that was peripheral to whatever was going on in Nanda Parbat.  And that is pretty much what we got.  Yes, there was brief scene with Ra’s and Batman, but nothing happens that we would not expect to happen.  The rest of the story features Robin contemplating the return of his parents, which is not exactly a groundbreaking story and, I suppose, a little predictable given the resurrection angle of the main plot.  Despite that, I was a little disappointed the writer or editors would even have Robin consider the idea of bringing his parents back to life.  I don’t know how to describe other than to say it doesn’t feel right to me.  Both my parents are still living, so I guess I can’t really sympathize with Robin’s dilemma as presented here, but it seems like the whole resurrection idea is more of a ploy to develop conflict (look, Robin vs. Nightwing) than a chance to reflect on what his parents meant to Robin.  And, I suppose, that is the root of the problem.  The plot doesn’t feel organic to the character, but force fed into the requirement that Robin, both book and character, is included in this crossover story.  I really think that the 7-part story really could’ve been pared down to three or four, but was expanded just to include all of the Bat titles.  So, as a result we get issues like this one, which is marking time away from the main story, but still finding a way to make sure it is somehow connected.  Even if it doesn’t feel right.